Electric igniter for gas-engines.



No. 773,062. PATENTED 0OT.25,1904. R. & J. COOPER.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES. I

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1902. I N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED 00T. 25,'1904. I R; & J. COOPER. 1 j ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.14, 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHBETS-SEEET 2.

No. 773,062, T '1.

UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRl IGNITER FOR GAS-ENGINES.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,062, dated October 25, 1904. Application filed February 14, 1902. Serial No. 94,052. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT COOPER and residing at Saltsburg, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Igniting Devices for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to all classes of igniters for explosive-engines which produce a spark by the separation of electrodes'within In the more com-.

the combustion-chamber. mon form of this class of igniters the. same points or parts of the electrodes are brought together in the same spot every time .the circuit is closed and are liable to and do become sufliciently insulated as not to allow of sulficient current to be flowing in the circuit as will be necessary to cause a spark capable of igniting the charge when the electrodes are separated. This insulation may be due to corrosion caused by-the intense, heat of thecontact points or parts of the electrodes or by some foreign substance getting between them. The object of our invention is to overcome these serious objections. This is accomplished ,by an'improved arrangement, construction,

and combination of parts whereby a good con tact is insured every time the electrodes are brought together and whereby'th'e wearing away of the contact points or parts of the electrodes will not materially effect the time of ignition.

We shall now more fully describe our in vention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1- is an'elevation of the igniter. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, part in section, of the same igniter. Fig. 3 is an elevation, part in section, of the igniter, also showing a portion of the engine and the way the igniter receives its motion from the-crankshaft. Fig. 4t-is a portion of the disk 21, showing clutch 22. Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is'an elevation, part in section, of the stud 6, showing the method of insulating it from the body of the igniter. a

Similar figures. refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 represents the frame or body of the igniter, which contains all the working parts. JOHN COOPER, citizens of the United States,

3 is a reciprocating rod which imparts mo tion to the igniter.

1 is a stud to which one of the electric wires is attached by thumb-screw 5.

6 is a stud insulated from the igniter-body by bushing 7, composed of any insulating material fitted tightly into igniter body, as shown. To stud 6 is fastened'the other electric wire by means of thumbnut 8.

7 is a nut on stud 6 to hold it in position.

A helical spring 9 passes over stud 6, one end of which is held from rotating by pin 10, and the other end presses against grooved disk 11. v p

' 12 is a hollow cylindrical shaft having a shoulder on the-inner side which bears against the igniter-body 1 in such a manner as to form an air-tight seat. Said shaft 12 is free to roj tate in igniter-body 1.

13 is a ratchet-wheel pressed on shaft 12.

1 1 is a small shaft passing through shaft 12 and having a disk 15 on the inner end and a nut 16 and grooved disk 11 on the outer end. Shaft 14 is insulated from shaft 12 by any insulating material 17 and is held firmly in position by nut 16. Disk 15forms an insulated revolving contact-electrode.

18 is a movable shaft passing through igniter-body 1 and having a shoulder on the inside which presses against the igniter-body to form 'a'.n=air-tight seat, also having a projecting arm 19, provided with a point 20 and so arranged that when brought in contact with disk 15 itcompletes the electric circuit. Shaft 18 has mounted upon it-a disk 21, provided with a clutch 22 on outer end. Disk 21 is free to rotate through a portion of a revolu tion until clutch 22 engages pin 23, which is through shaft 18.

24 shows a spring coiled jaround hub of disk 21, onev end of which is fastened. to disk 21 by pin 25 and the other end attached to pin23-. g

26 is a rod passing through ighiter-body, as shown, and havinga rectangular head 27.

28 is a spring under compression coiled around boss 29 and pressing against igniterbody and nut 30.

30 is a special nut arranged to lengthen or shorten the rod 26.

31 is a pawl pivoted in head 27 on pin 32.

33 is a spring which presses pawl 31 against ratchet-wheel 13.

34 and 35 indicate catches on disk 21.

36 is a lever provided with catch 37 and mounted on stud 38.

39 is a spring which presses lever 36 toward disk 21.

40 and 41 are holes through which screws may be put to fasten the igniter to the combustion-chamber.

42 is the crank-shaft of the engine.

43 is a gear securely fastened to crankshaft 42.

44 is a gear double the diameter of gear 43 and is securely fastened to shaft 45.

46 is an eccentric securely fastened to gear 44.

47 is a portionof the crank-case.

48 is a bushing in crank-case 47 to support rod 3. I

The operation of the igniter is as follows: The eccentric 46 receives its motion from the crank-shaft 42 through the gears 43 and 44 and travels at one-half the speed of the crankshaft and in the direction of the arrow shown. It will be seen that as the eccentric 46 rotates the rod 3, which is too close to shaft 45 to allow the highest point of the eccentric to pass under it without raising it, will be lifted to some degree from its present position. The amount of this lift can be changed by lengthening or shortening the end of the rod nearer the eccentric 46. As the rod 3 rises it is brought in contact with the nut 30, which is screwed fast to red 26. As rod 26 rises it will be seen that head 27, which is fast to rod 26, will be brought in contact with disk 21 at point 35. As it continues to ascend the disk 21, which is loose on shaft 18, is rotated. As

it rotates the spring 24, which is fast to disk 21 and to pin 23 in shaft 18, rotates shaft 18.

and causes electrode 20 to come in contact with disk-electrode 15, which halts the shaft 18 in its motion and closes the circuit. As the head 27 still ascends the pawl 31, which is mounted therein, is brought in contact with one of the teeth in the ratchet-wheel 13, mounted on shaft 12, and the wheel 13 is retated. The rotation of the wheel 13 causes the. disk-electrode to rotate, and thereby removes all dirt or insulating matter from between the electrodes. The spring 33 presses the pawl 31 against ratchet 13. Disk 21 is rotated until point 34 on disk 21 has reached point 37 on lever 36. It will be seen that as the head 27 is raised up it would be taken away from lever 36, and as lever 36 has a spring 39 pressing it upward as soon as point 34 on disk 21 passes over point 37 on lever 36 that point 37 would fly up and engage point 34 on disk 21. The clutch 22 on disk 21 would pass away from pin 23 in shaft 18 as soon as shaft 18 is halted in its rotating motion. \Vhen the points 34 and 37 lock or a trifle thereafter, the eccentric 46 has reached its highest point and begins to descend. The rod 26 is forced down by spring 28 as the eccentric passes down. \Vhen rod 26 descends. head 27 is brought down on lever 36, and as it continues to descend the point 37 releases point 34 and spring 24 drives disk 21 forward rapidly until clutch 22 engages pin 23, which imparts the momentum of the disk 21 to shaft 18, which in turn separates the electrodes 15 and 20, thereby causing a spark.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. In an electric igniting device for gasengines, the combination of a frame, a ratchetwheel mounted on a hollow shaft carrying an insulated disk-electrode, a solid shaft carrying a second electrode, both electrode-shafts passing inside the combustion-chamher, and the latter having an arm mounted thereon to contact said second electrode with the disk-electrode, mechanism to move the solid shaft to make and break contact of said electrodes and means to operate the ratchet-wheel after the electrodes are brought into contact, substantially as described.

2. In an electric igniting device for gasengines, the combination of a frame, an insulated stud mounted on said frame, a ratchetwheel mounted on a hollow shaft carrying an insulated disk-electrode, a solid shaft carrying a second electrode, both electrode-shafts passing inside the combustion-chamber, the latter having an arm mounted thereon to contact said second electrode with the disk-electrode, mechanism to move the solid shaft to make and break contact of said electrodes, means to operate the ratchet-wheel after the electrodes are brought into contact and means for connecting said insulated stud with said insulated electrode, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-engine igniting device, a frame carrying a revoluble insulated electrode, and an oscillatory solid-shaft electrode, both passing inside the combustion-chamber, a ratchetwheel mounted on the revoluhle electrode, a disk 21 carrying a clutch 22 mounted on the oscillatory solid shaft electrode, a pin 23 through said solid-shaft electrode, a spring 24 attached to disk 21 and to pin 23, catches 34 and 35 cut in disk 21, a lever 36 and all arranged and adapted to operate the revoluhle and oscillatory electrodes, substantially as described.

4. In igniting devices for gas-engines, the combination of a frame carrying an oscillatory electrode and a revoluble electrode, an insulated stud mounted in said frame, means for connecting said insulated stud to said insulated electrode and means for operating the a I 773,062 I 3 oscillatory electrode and means for operating spring 33, and: all arranged. and adapted to the revoluble electrode after the oscillatory operate the igniter, substantially as described. andrevoluble electrodes connect, substantially In testimony whereof we have hereunto afas described. fixed our signatures in the presence'of two wit- 5 5; In a gas-engine'igniting device the cornnesses.

bination of a frame 1 a revoluble electrode 14, ROBERT COOPER. an oscillatory electrode 18, a hollow shaft 12, JOHN COOPER. a ratchet-wheel 13, a disk 21, a spring 24, a 'Witnesses: clutch 22, a pin 23, a pawl 31, a lever 36, a G. M. MILLER,

10 spring 39, a rod 26, a spring 28, a head 27, a PETER WAUGAMAN. 

